Need a speaker for the blues lover...

I agree with Tim that Fritz is worth calling; he's a good guy, and the Carbon 7 is very nice indeed, if a bit over your stated price range. As Tvad points out, not clear that any of the speakers mentioned are esp. well suited to blues -- but I'm not sure a "blues specific" speaker is required (or if one exists). From what you've said, a more important issue might be what speaker does well at moderate volumes -- not all do.

John

Excellent -- we've sorted out the "oxymoron question."

Sufentanil:

Maybe there is an air of paradox: To my ear, "studio" suggests any apartment without a a separate bedroom (though I might have some hesitation about calling a really large bedroom-less loft a "studio"). To my ear, "apartment" suggests a home co-joined with other units; which I take prompted Tvad's question about listening levels.

Beernut's place apparently meets the "studio" criterion, but one might have hesitation about "apartment," given that his place is not cojoined with other units. Yet it seems to me that "garage apartment" is a familiar locution. Indeed, a google image search for "garage apartment" will reveal many pictures. I'll therefore continue to hold my "not an oxymoron" position, pending further argument.

Doubtless, this is not very interesting. But you maay be interested to know that some people get paid to do this sort of thing; it's called "analytic philosophy." Odd, I agree.

John